What is disability-income insurance?

Disability-income insurance is insurance that provides financial benefits to a policyholder in the event of sickness or injury that inhibits the ability to work. Disability-income insurance is meant as a substitute of no more than 80% of income on a tax-free basis should illness keep you from earning an income in your occupation. Some things that must be considered before choosing disability insurance include:

a) whether there is a waiting period before income kicks in, b) whether the policy covers short and long term disabilities, and c) whether the policy covers disabilities resulting from accidents or illnesses.

Another source of disability insurance is the Social Security program. The Social Security Administration (SSA), which is responsible for retirement benefits, also administers disability benefits. Eligibility for SSA disability payments is based on being unable to perform any gainful employment and not the job that was being performed at the time the disability began. In other words, being a firefighter or a construction worker does not entitle one to higher disability benefits than people in other professions. Social Security disability payments are subject to federal income tax if your "combined income," adjusted gross income plus any nontaxable interest income and half of your Social Security benefits, exceeds certain limits. To find out more about SSA disability payments, go to socialsecurity.gov.